Labor Performance Standards
in
Seed Warehousing
L.,
O M
1 B
Special Report 135
August 1962
Agricultural Experiment Station i Oregon State University i Corvallisin cooperation with
Economic Research Service 1 United States Department of Agriculture
This report, dealing with labor and equipment performance standards,is the first of a series on costs and efficiencies in seed processing. Alater report will consider equipment and facilities costs. These and timestandards will be used to synthesize models of seed processing plants todetermine what, effect length of season, annual volume, methods used, andkinds of seed have on costs of processing.
These studies are being carried out by Oregon Agricultural ExperimentStation and the United States Department of Agriculture cooperating.
Authors: C. H. Greene is Agricultural EconomistMarketing Economics DivisionEconomic Research ServiceU. S. Department of Agriculture
G. B. Davis is Agricultural EconomistOregon State University
LABOR PERFORMANCE STANDARDS IN SEED WAREHOUSING
INTRODUCTION
Oregon's turf and forage seed industry annually returns to growers anincome in excess of $15 million. About $4 million is the value added byprocessing, storing and related operations.
The seed processing industry of the state is made up of approximately400 plants including grower owned as well as commercial plants. These plantsvary widely in many of the characteristics that have a bearing on processingcosts. Some plants, for example, have a cleaning season of 2,500 hourswhile others clean only for about 50 hours per season. The hourly cleaningcapacities of the individual plants vary almost as widely. In addition,some plants use bulk handling and mechanical methods for receiving and handling,while others depend on receiving, and storing field run seed in bags transportedby hand trucks. This wide variation in methods used and the volume of seedhandled suggests that differences in efficiency and costs of operation alsoexist.a.
This report, as well as subsequent ones to follow, is intended to provideseed processors with information they can use to improve their efficiencyand reduce their costs. The current report is confined to labor performancestandards for the more common methods used in seed warehousing. Also includedare labor standards for some methods not now in general use but which appearto offer possibilities for reducing costs. These standards can be used todetermine the labor requirements under efficient conditions for differentmethods. This can be helpful to management in selecting appropriate methodsto use in these operations. Also the information presented represents anaccumulation of materials handling standards previously unavailable toresearchers and others interested in costs and efficiencies in the handlingof bulk and bagged free flowing products.
Later reports will combine labor standards with equipment and facilitiescosts to demonstrate how seed processing costs are affected by such variablesas length of operating season, hourly capacity, methods used, annual volume,and kind of seed.
SCOPE AND METHOD
Seed processing has four distinct but related stages: (1) receiving andstoring field run seeds; (2) cleaning and bagging; (3) warehousing clean seed;and (4) shipping the clean seed (Figure 1). This report will emphasize ware-housing operations as they are affected by alternative methods of seed handling.Information relating to storage space requirements is presented first and isfollowed by labor requirements for handling field run and clean seed in bags.Pallet box and bulk handling of field run seed will then be discussed with
Ll Greene, C. H., and G. B. Davis, "Seed Processing in the WillametteValley," Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station Miscellaneous Publication No. 81, 1959.
some consideration given to miscellaneous operations in the seed cleaningindustry.
Labor standards presented in this report were developed from time andproduction studies made of the methods and equipment used in a sample often seed processing plants in Oregon. These plants were selected becausethey had particular operations that were above average in efficiency. As aconsequence, the standards are actual measurements of better than averagerates of performance. These performance rates, however, represent levelsthat can be achieved in well-organized and well-managed plants.
The standards to be shown in this report include an allowance of 20%for nonproductive time. This allowance is based on a standard developedfrom industrial engineering research, and represents time lost through briefperiods of equipment down-time, normal rest periods, and minor stoppageswhile waiting for materials or work, The standards, therefore, represent apace at which a trained worker can perform an operation through the course ofa working day.
The standards have two labor components: (1) an amount varying withdistance, measuring the time required to transport seed from one point toanother, and (2) a fixed component measuring the time required to perform allelements of the operation except those included in (1) above. The zero entryin each section of the tables relating to movement of seed by hand trucks orlift trucks indicates this fixed component. The variable components, ortransportation times used in computing the standards, are given below. Thetotal transportation time is calculated by multiplying the one-way transporta-tion distance in feet, as described in each table, by whichever of the follow-ing standards is appropriate for the operation.
Hand truck: .0330 man-hours per 1,000 bagsLift truck: .0080 man-hours per 1,000 bags (20 bags/pallet)
.0064 man-hours per 1,000 bags (25 bags/pallet)
.0016 man-hours per pallet box
The above may be used to calculate standard times for travel distancesnot shown in the tables.
Procuring of needed tools and supplies, record keeping, setting uptemporary work stations, adjusting equipment, and cleaning up after a jobhave been included in the standard, times where appropriate, but no allowancefor indirect labor of managers and supervisors is included.
Although direct comparisons of the labor requirements for differentmethods of performing a given operation are possible, caution should be usedin such comparisons. Consideration should also be given to the full .cost ofperforming the operation, based on the relative equipment requirements as wellas labor requirements of the various methods. Equipment requirements and costswill, be presented in a later publication.
KEY -
Figure 1. Flow Chart of Seed Processing Operations.
-4-
STORAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR BAGGED SEED AND PALLET BOXES
The question of storage requirements is always of major importance toseed processors. There is often a problem of determining the method ofstorage which will best utilize the existing storage space without sacri-ficing operating efficiency. The material in Tables 1 and 2 provide somebasis for estimating storage requirements for several methods of handlingseed. The information in Table 1 may be used both for field run seed andclean seed. The second table applies to pallet boxes of the three mostcommon sizes in use in Western Oregon. Bulk storage of seed is not illus-trated here, but will be included in the next report in this series.
Using the data in these two tables, a warehouse manager may estimatethe storage requirements for a given volume of seed. In this manner, hemay select the most appropriate method for the volume of seed he expects tohandle. For example, storage for 10,000 bags would require 11,380 squarefeet for five-high stacks or 7,120 for eight-high stacks. If pallets areused 10,000 bags of seed would require 7,500 square feet of storage if twopallets high or 3,750 square feet if four high.
LABOR REQUIREMENTS IN WAREHOUSING SEED
Labor standards for warehousing are presented in the form of man-hoursper 1,000 bags or in man-hours per 1,000 bushels in the case of bulk andpallet box handling. Each can readily be converted to a weight basis.
The minimum crew size required to achieve the performance rate specifiedin a given standard time has been included in the job specifications, wherecrew size affects rate of production. Where crew size is not specified, itmay be assumed that a one-man crew is sufficient, or that crew size has noappreciable effect on the performance rate.
Receiving and Storing Field Run Seed in Bags
Handling Seed with Hand Trucks - The Trend in seed warehousing is towardthe use of more merchanized and bulk handling and away from use of hand trucks.Many plants, however, still use hand trucks for seed handling operations.Labor performance standards for this method are shown in Table 3. These datacan be used to estimate the labor requirements of a particular operation underefficient conditions. The following is an example of their use.
Assume a warehouse anticipates receiving approximately 100,000 pounds offield run ryegrass, 70,000 pounds of Chewings fescue, and 80,000 pounds ofbentgrass. This would be about 1,150 sacks of ryegrass, about 900 of Chewingsfescue, and 950 of bentgrass -- a total of about 3,000 sacks of field run seed.It is assumed that hand trucks will be used for unloading and storing, andthat the warehouse has no sack elevator for high piling (Table 3). If ware-house space is not a problem, the seed can be stacked on the floor in five-high piles. Approximately 3,400 square feet of floor space would be requiredunder this method, as opposed to 2,100 if the bags were stacked in eight-highpiles (Table 1). If the distance from the truck bed to the point of storageaverages 80 feet, the labor requirement is 4.29 man-hours per 1,000 bags.Multiplying 4.29 man-hours times '3 (for 3,000 bags) gives 12.87 man-hours.
Table 1. Storage Requirements for Bagged Seedj
Manner in which bags are stored Floor space requiredper 1000 bag s/1
(square feet)
5-high stacks 1,138
6-high stacks 949
7-high stacks 813
8-high stacks 712
20-high piles 585
4' x 5' pallets, 20 bags per pallet
2 pallets high 750
3 pallets high 500
4 pallets high 375
LL. Assumes bags contain 100 pounds of clean ryeorass and that a singlebag occupies approximately five square feet of floor space.
Za Includes the following allowances for aisles: stacked on floor fiveto eight high, 15%; high piled, 30%; palletized, 20%.
Table 2. Storage Requirements for Pallet Boxes
Floor space required per box/J.-
Size of box 2 hi h 3 hi •h 4.hi•h
(feet) (square feet)
4 x 6 x 4 15 10 7.5
4 x 6 x 3 15 10 7.5
4 x 4 x 4 4.5
Li Includes 20% allowance for aisles.
This is the estimated labor requirement for receiving and storing thisquantity of seed. Of course, the rate at which the seed is deliveredat the warehouse as well as the volume delivered will determine the totallabor needed for receiving if a separate receiving crew is used.
No allowance has been made for variations in the weight of bags offield run seed. Time studies indicated that effects of such variations werenot significant within the weight limits normally found in bags of field runseed.
Handling Seed with Lift Trucks - The standards for this method of seedhandling are presented in Table 4. These standards are based on the follow-ing conditions:
1. Pallets are 48 by 60 inches, double-faced.
2. Bags of field run seed are stacked on pallets in layers of fivebags each, four or five layers per pallet.
3. Clean grass seed in bags of 100 pounds is stacked on pallets infour layers of five bags each, or 2,000 pounds per pallet.
4. Clean grass seed in bags of 50 pounds, and 100 pound bags oflegume seed are stacked in layers of six bags, with four or fivelayers per pallet. Plants specializing in legumes generally willhave a 48 by 48 inch pallet and stack four layers of five bagseach.
Under the above conditions, pallet loads will weigh from 1,000 to 3,000pounds depending on the type of bag and the kind of seed. Since most ware-houses using pallets usually have a 4,000 pound (sometimes a 2,000 or 3,000pound) capacity forklift truck, these weights are within their handlingabilities. The manner in which the seed is stacked on the pallet has moreeffect on the handling time than the weight of the loaded pallet, within theabove limits.
Receiving and Handling Field Run Seed in Pallet Boxes
The use of pallet boxes is a fairly recent innovation in seed handling,apparently stimulated by their potential to reduce costs, as indicated bytheir use in other industries and for agricultural commodities such aspears, apples, green beans, and other products.
The pallet boxes used for seeds in the Pacific Northwest are generallyof plywood on a two-way entry pallet. Heavy sheet metal boxes on two orfour-way entry pallets are common in the legume seed processing areas ofCalifornia.
The usual procedure with pallet boxes is to load them on the grower'struck to be filled at the combine in the field. The full boxes are thenreturned, unloaded and exchanged for more empties. The unloading andloading operations at the plant are described in Table 5, in the top section.
- 7 -
Table 3. Labor Requirements for Receiving and Handling Field RunSeed in Bags with Hand Trucks
TransportationdistanceLi
5-high 6-high 7-high 8-high 20-high
piles piles piles piles piles/1
(feet)
(Man-hours per 1000 bags)
Receive, unload, transport, and stored
0 1.65 4.11 4.37 4.62 7.75
20 2.31 4.77 5.03 5.28 8.41
40 2.97 5.43 5.69 5.9499.977360
803.63 6.09 6.35 6.604.29 6.75 7.01 7.26 10.39
100 4.95 7.41 7.67 7.92 11.05
/4Transport from storage to cleaning line
0 11.66 11.92 12.69 13.01 13.72
20 12.32 12.58 13.35 13.67 14.38
40 12.98 13-.24 14.01 14.33 15.04
60 13.64 13.90 14.67 14.99 15.70
80 14.40 14.56 15.33 15.65 16.36
100 14.96 15.22 15.99 16.31 17.02
a Distance one-way from truck bed to point where hand truck is unloaded.
L Assumes a sack elevator with a belt speed of approximately 60 feet perminute capable of handling 550 to 600 bags per hour.
L3 Operation consists of unloading seed in bags from highway truck, trans-porting to storage and piling on floor. It is assumed that (1) 20percent of the bags are loaded from truck onto hand truck by hand and80 percent by sticking load (2) hand truck unloaded by bucking five-bagloads against pile and placing those above 5 high by hand in the case of6, 7, and 8-high piles, (3) bags placed by hand on elevator in case of20-high piles, (4) and a crew of two men on pile and three on floorfor 20-high piles.
LA Consists of one man breaking down piles, loading hand truck, openingbags and dumping seed into floor hopper of cleaning line.
Table 4. Labor Requirements for Receiving and Handling Seed in Bagson Pallets with Forklift Truck
Transportation
20 bags
25 bags
distancea
per pallet
per pallet
(0an-hours per 1000 bags)
(feet)
Receive and storeL
0 5.91 5.73
20 6.07 5.86
40 6.23 5.99
60 6.39 6.12
80 6.55 6.25
100 6.71 6.38
Transport from storage to cleaning
0 11.57 9.18
20 11.73 9.31
40 11.89 9.44
60 12.05 9.57
80 12.21 9.70
100 12.37 9.83
L Distance one-way from point forklift enters pallet to point forkliftdisengages from pallet. These standards also apply to receiving andstoring bags of clean seed.
La Bags on highway truck transferred to pallet, transported by forklift tostorage and stored 3 pallets high. Assumes crew of two to four men.
One. man with forklift transfers palletized seed from storage to cleaningline and dumps bags by hand into floor hopper.
Table 5. Labor Requirements for Handling Seed in Different SizePallet Boxes
Transportation Man-hours 46 bushel box 52 bushel box 69 bushel box
distanced per box (41x4')(4') (41x6'x3') (4')(6'x4')
(Man-hours per 1000 bushels)
(feet) Receive and storeLa
0 .032504 .7067 .6250 .4710
20 .035704 .7762 .6866 .5174
40 .038904 .8457 .7482 .5638
60 .042104 .9153 .8097 .6102
80 .045304 .9849 .8712 .6566
100 .048504 1.0544 .9328 .7030
Transfer from storage area to cleaning line and mechanically dump
0 .026750 .5816 .5144 .3877
20 .029950 .6511 .5760 .4341
40 .033150 .7207 .6375 .4804
60 .036350 .7902 .6990 .5268
80 .039550 .8598 .7606 .5732
100 .042750 .9293 .8221 .6196
Transfer from storage area to cleaningline and dump with lift truckil
0 .024097 .5269 .4633 .3492
20 .027297 .5934 .5249 .3956
40 .030497 .6630 .5865 .4420
60 .033697 .7325 .6480 .4884
80 .036897 .8021 .7096 .5347
100 .040097 .8717 .7711 5811
Distance one-way from point forklift enters pallet to point forkliftdisengages from pallet.
La Includes moving boxes from highway truck to open shed, and place emptyboxes on truck.
Forklift equipped with turning head attachment on forks.wiiviDRAwm FROM
0,S.U, LIBRARY
Table 6. Estimated Weights of Field Run Seeds in Specified PalletBoxesa
Kind of Seed
Sixe of Box
46 bushels(4'x4'x4')
52 bushels(4'x6'x3')
69 bushels(4'x6'x4')
(pounds per box)
Ryegrass 1,050 1,200 1,600
Fine Fescue 700 800 1,000
Bentgrass 1,300 1,450 1,900
Merion Bluegrass 600 675 900
Crimson Clover 2,300 2,600 3,500
a Assuming 90% utilization of total storage capacity.
Table 7. Labor Requirements for Receiving Field Run Seed in BulkTrucksa
Hourly capacity of elevator
Operations 500 bushels 1600 bushels 5000 bushels 10,000 bushelsper hour per hour per hour per hour
(man-hours per 1000 bushels)
Weigh in, selectbin, lift andlower truckL2 .125 .125 .125 .125
Delay to emptyhopper and ele-vator lega
2.375 .708 .292 .083
Total man-hoursper 1000 bushels 2.500 .833 .417 .208
a Assumes that trucks have a capacity,of 400 bushels of field run seed.
/.2 These standards have been adjusted to allow for overlapping of aboveoperations between consecutive lots of seed.
The two lower sections of that table compare two methods of dumping theseed from the boxes. The first method utilizes a mechanical dumper whichmay be either stationary or mobile. The second method - utilizes a turning
head attachment for the forks of the lift truck.
The second column in Table 5 gives the man-hours required per boxhandled, irrespective of size of box, at varying distances for each method.The last three columns of the table show the man-hours per 1,000 bushelsushels
for each of three sizes of boxes in common use in Western Oregon.
Some representative weights for field run seed in each of these boxesare given in Table 6. This table may be used in conjunction with Table 5to determine labor requirements for handling a given volume of a specifiedseed, or conversely to determine the amount of a given seed which can behandled in a specified time.
Receivinci_Field Run Seed in Bulk Trucks
Bulk receiving operations are common to larger seed processing plantsequipped with bulk storage. This type of operation permits a high receivingrate with a minimum of labor but also requires a substantial investment infacilities.
The standards for labor used in bulk receiving are shown in Table 7.They assume that the average truck received will contain 400 bushels offield run seed, and that the trucks are dumped by means of a front-wheelcradle hoist into a hopper set in the ground separately or into a truckscale .a The standards in Table 7 include weighing in and out, sincethese operations must be performed to keep records of receipts. If weighingis not performed at the warehouse, the amount of labor required for dumpingwill decrease correspondingly. Man-hours required per 1,000 bushels willbe reduced by .042 making the maximum receiving rate 6,000 bushels per hourinstead of 4,800. However, if the scales are operated at the warehouse,but are separated from the dumping arrangement, the performance rate forreceiving will be increased to 6,000 bushels per hour, but the effectiverate per man-hour expended will be 4,800.
These standards are based on the assumption that dumping the seed intothe hopper and conveying it out of the hopper into bins begin simultaneously.Then the capacity is limited by clean-up time, wei ghing, lifting, and loweringthe truck. However, the capacity of the conveying and elevating equipment willfurther restrict the over-all capacity of the receiving setup, as indicated inthe table.
L Time studies have indicated that at least five minutes are required toweigh the truck and record the weight, select the bin which is to receive the seed, raise and lower the truck with the front wheel cradlehoist, and clean up the area between loads. This standard applies onlyif the receiving hopper is large enough to hold a 400 bushel load, orthe conveying and elevating system is of sufficient capacity to handle400 bushels in about two minutes.
-12-
Handling, Storing, and Shipping Clean Seed
Banging - The time required for bagging seed is shown in Table 8. Thesestandards do not include an estimate of the time spent in tending machinery.This can vary greatly depending on the kind of seed being cleaned and thekind and amount of contaminants. For the same reasons, no estimate wasobtained for time lost in changing from one lot of seed to the next.
Table 8, Labor Requirements for Sacking and Handling Clean Seed
Method of Sewing Man-hours per 1000 bags
Bags sewn by hand 37.15
Bags sewn by mechanical stitcher 32.47
L Includes the following operations performed by one man:
(1) Place bag on hopper and fill with clean seed.(2) Remove filled bag, weigh, sew, stencil and place on hand truck
or pallet.(3) Get supplies.
If it is assumed that the cleaning line has a capacity of 800 pounds ofclean seed per hour, with one man sewing bags by hand, he would be busy only30 percent of his time. His remaining time is available for moving thebagged seed or tending to the equipment in the cleaning line.
This is calculated as follows: express the line capacity as a percentageof 1000. Multiply this percentage by the labor required per 1000 bags. Theresult is the percentage of the cleaner man's time devoted to this operation.In this example, 8 is 0.8% of 1000. Multiplying 37.15 man-hours per 1000bags by 0.8% shows that the operator requires about 30% of his time for thisoperation.
Handling and Storing - Another example in the use of the standards isillustrated by , the operation consisting of transferring clean seed from thecleaning line to test storage (Table 9). The term "test storage" here refersto temporary storage of the bagged seed while waiting for samples to be takenand the analysis performed. When hand trucks are used to transport bagsfrom the cleaning line, the five-bag loads are bucked from the hand truckinto double rows of five-high stacks, so that the sampler has access to eachbag. The standard is 4.89 man-hours per 1,000 bags, assuming the point ofstorage averages 40 feet from the loading point. The maximum rate at whichone man could perform this operation with 40 feet transport distance is204 bags per man-hour (1,000 divided by 4.89). That is, one man could keepup with a cleaning line with a capacity of 20,400 pounds per hour. Standards
for moving seed already placed on pallets to test storage and from test
-13-
storage to other storage are shown in Table 10. These standards apply alsoto field run seed handled under the same conditions.
Table 9. Labor Requirements for Handling, Transporting and StoringBags of Clean Seed with Hand Trucks
Transportationdistances
Transfer from MoveMove from cleaning test storage to ing line
line to test storage 20-high storage high
from clean-to 20-
storages
(feet) (man-hours per 1000 bags)
0 3.57 6.89 9.43
20 4.23 7.55 10.09
40 4.89 8.21 10.75
60 5.55 8.87 11.41
80 6.21 9.53 12.07
100 6.87 10.19 12.73
Z.1 Distance one-way from point hand truck is loaded to where it is unloaded.
Za Consists of one man loading bags at bagging station, transporting totest storage and bucking 5 bag load into floor stacks.
One man loads hand truck in test storage by sticking pile, transportsand unloads onto elevator. Two men, make 20-high piles.
zzi One man transports from cleaning line, unloads onto elevator and twomen make 20-high piles.
-14-
Table 10. Labor Requirements for Moving Palletized Seed in Bagsto Storage
Transportationdistanced
Move from cleaning Moveline to 2 pallethigh test storage
from 2 pallet hightest storage and store
3 or 4 pallets high
(feet) (man-hours per 1000 bags)La
.72 .51
20 .88 .67
40 1.04 .83
60 1.20 .99
80 1.36 1.15
100 1.52 1.31
Distance one-way from point forklift enters pallet to point forkliftdisengages from pallet.
La Assumes bags of seed are placed on pallet prior to their operation.
Carloadinq - Labor standards for loading cars with clean seed in bagsare shown for two common methods--hand truck loading, Table 11, and--forkliftloading with seed palletized Table 12. To illustrate the use of the forkliftstandards, assume that the car is loaded with 600 bags of annual ryegrassfrom a ground level plant using a ramp for the sift truck to enter the car.Shipping tags are attached prior to the start of the loading operation butthe labor required for this is included in the standard. More time is shownfor loading certified seed than for noncertified because of the differencein tagging requirements. Each bag of certified seed has two tags but non-certified has one. The appropriate standard to use is in the top sectionof Table 12. At a distance of 60 feet from the foot of the ramp to thepoint at which the seed is stored the standard is 6.12 man-hours per 1,000bags or 3.67 man-hours for loading the 600 bags of noncertified seed in thecar. To this should be added the time required to prepare the car forloading, handling the dock plates, and closing the car. This can be foundin Table 13, and is .767 man-hours (.751 plus .008 and .008). The totaltime for loading one 60,000 pound car is therefore 4.437 man-hours. Thisis .44 man-minutes per 100 pound bag. For an 800 bag car, at the samedistance, the total time would be 6.12 x .8 plus .767, or 5.663. This is.42 man-minutes per bag as compared to .44 per bag for the 60,000 poundcar.
-15-
Table 11. Labor Requirements for Loading . Rail Cars with Clean Seedby Hand Truck
Transportation Noncertified Seeder Certified SeedLadistances Pretagged Tagged by loaders Pretagged Tagged by loaders
(feet)
(Man-hours per 1000 bags)
Loaded from 5 high test storageL2
0 5.26 7.15 6.68 10.0720 5.92 7.81 7.34 10.7340 6.58 8.47 8.00 11.3960 7.24 9.13 8.66 12.0580 7.90 9.79 9.32 12.71
100 8.56 10.45 9.98 13.37
Loaded from 20 high storagell
0 8.87 11.7920 9.53 12.4540 10.19 13.1160 10.85 13.7780 11.51 14.43
100 12.17 15.09
Distance one-way from storage pile to rail car door.
Noncertified seed has one tag per bag while certified has two.
Includes sticking 5 high test piles of seed, transporting to car, taggingand loading rail car. Assumes four man crew. Additional labor is re-quired for car preparation, handling dock plate, and closing and sealingcar. gee Table 13.
Includes removing bags from 20-high piles with elevator, loading handtrucks, transporting to car, tagging, and loading car. Assumes two menon high pile and two men hand trucking and car loading. Additionallabor is required for car preparation, dock plate handling, and closingand sealing car. See Table la.
-16-
Table 12. Labor Requirements for Loading Rail Car with PalletizedSeed in Bags
Transportation
Noncertified Certifieddistance/1
(Man-hours per 1000 bags)L2
(feet) Ground level plant using ramp
O 5.64 7.06
20 5.80 7.22
40 5.96 7.38
60 6.12 7.54
80 6.28 7.70
100 6.44 7.86
Car level plant
O 5.10 6.52
20 5.26 6.68
40 5.42 6.84
60 5.58 7.00
80 5.74 7.16
100 5.90 7.32
Ground level plant using pallet dolly in car
O 6.46 7.88
20 6.62 8.04
40 6.78 8.20
60 6.94 8.36
80 7.10 8.52
100 7.26 8.68
L Distance one-way from point of storage to foot of ramp for first methodand to door of car for the last two methods.
Za Operations consist of tagging, moving palletized seed (20 bags to apallet)from storage into car for the first and second methods above, un-loading the pallet, loading the car and returning empty pallet to warehouse. One man operates the forklift and assists either one or two menin the car. In the third method above, pallet is placed on dolly in carand driver assists one or two men in loading. Labor requirements for allthree methods do not include time for preparing car for loading and closingcar door. See Table 13
-17-
Table 13, Labor Requirements for Preparing Rail Car for Loading
and Snipping/1
Method of loading car Operation
Hand-Truck Lift-TruckLoaded Loaded
(Man-hours per car)
Prepare car, close and seal .895 .751
Place or remove dock plate .005 .008
Place or remove pallet dolly .008
Place or remove conveyor .038
Reset conveyor for next tier .009
LL Adapted from data furnished by Midwest Feed Manufacturers Association,Kansas City, Missouri.
Such operations as handling conveyors or pallet dollies are not includedin the standard times for car loading. These standards, given in Table 13,must be added to the car loading standards wherever appropriate. For in-stance, in car loading with hand trucks, if a sack conveyor is used in thecar an allowance must be made for placing it in the car (.038 man-hours)moving it between tiers (.009 man-hours per move) and removing it from thecar (.038 man-hours). The conveyor might be reset six times while loading,(three times in each end of the car) so that total time for the use of theconveyor would be (6 x .009) + (2 x .038), or .130 man-hours per car inaddition to the loading operation.
Miscellaneous Operations
The preceding discussion has been centered around labor performancerates for some of the more common operations in the seed processing in-dustry. Less common operations, however, frequently are required in someplants, because of facilities that may prove to be inadequate for thevolume of seed to be processed.
Tables 14 and 15, describe the labor requirements for transferringfield run seed from bulk bins to pallet boxes or bags and then storing.These operations occur in bulk storage plants with bulk storage facilitiestoo small for the amount of seed to be received.
-18-
Table 14, Labor Requirements for Transferring Field Run Seed FromBulk Bins to Pallet Boxes and Storing
Transportationdistanced
Man-hoursper box/2
Size of box
46 bushels(4'x4'x4')
52 bushels 69 bushels(4'x6'x3') (4'x6'x4')
(feet)
.0626
(Man-hours per 1000 bushels)
1.3609 1.2039 .9073
20 .0658 1.4305 1.2654 .9537
40 .0690 1.500 1.3270 1.0000
60 .0722 1.5696 1.3885 1.0464
80 .0754 1.6392 1.4500 1.0928
100 .0786 1.7087 1.5116 1.1392
a Distance one-way from point box is filled to point where box isstored.
L2. Includes getting empty box, positioning and filling, and storingfull box. Assumes two-man crew with one man filling boxes andone lift truck operator.
-19-
Table 15. Labor Requirements for Transferring Field Run Seed fromBulk Bins to Bags and Storinga
Transportationdistance
Stacking height5-highpiles
6-highpiles
7-highpiles
8-highpiles
20-highpiles
(feet)
0
20
40
60
80
100
31.15
31.81
32.47
33.13
33.79
34.45
(Man-hours per 1000 bags)11
33.60 33.86 34.11
34.26 34.52 34.77
34.92 35.18 35.43
35.58 35.84 ? 36.09
36.24 36.50 36.75
36.90 37.16 37.41
37.25
37.91
38.57
39.23
39.89
40.55
Z.1 Includes the following operations:
(1) Place bag on hopper and fill.(2) Remove bag, sew, stencil and place on hand truck.(3) Get supplies.(4) Hand truck to storage area and store.
Z2. Based upon hand truck operation with 5-man crew including two stacking20-high piles with elevator assistance.
